I did QA testing for RDR 2 and GTA 6, the latter starting preproduction in 2014 I believe. I was using a PS5 devkit. The game entered large scale development sometime around late 2016 during the timeframe Rockstar began marketing Red Dead Redemption 2. Half the studios went full force on RDR, the other half on GTA6.
Some background first: RDR2 was a HUGE project for Rockstar and apparently a ton of morale was lost. The game makers weren’t even sure if they were making a game that was fun to play as the studio heads kept pushing everyone to incorporate all these “state of the art” immersive qualities and attention to detail, especially in the wildlife and visuals department. Overall RDR2 was a daunting project that suck the soul out of just about everyone. However, the Rockstar guys were pretty adamant about returning to the series and revisiting the “Van Der Linde” legacy they liked to call it. They were very fond of the story they had created for Arthur Morgan. It was essentially their soul game. But RDR2 was also sorta seen as a “test mule” for GTA 6. Even though a ton of passion and blood was put into it, and the producers behind it were more than confident in it being a critical success just off brand and hype alone, they ultimately knew a “techy” game had to be made before GTA 6 just to see where the company's footprint was in the next-gen sphere. Rockstar knew GTA 6 wouldn’t be feasible on PS4 and Xbox One if they wanted to pull off a generation defining GTA title that pushed the bar; they also had RDR2 on their hands.
GTA 5 was also kinda seen as their “mainline” GTA since it originally came out on the PS3 & XB360’s deathbed but had a ton of staying power even today as we’re approaching the 9th generation. Overhead some mates at the studio joking about GTA 5 being a “one-man casino” for Rockstar. The game that just “keeps on giving.” Anyways, RDR2’s engine is sorta a precursor to GTA 6. You might’ve noticed just how amazingly crafted and realistic the volumetric clouds were in RDR2’s skybox despite only ever being able to take in the skies in one mission (the hot air balloon one). This is because GTA 6 is reusing/building off the skybox in RDR2 since the game has a heavy emphasis on air travel. I’ve flown a military jet in the game (called the Sunsiege) and the world from above is truly a marvel: what Rockstar managed to achieve is extraordinary and will push the open world genre to unseen limits. It almost felt like a privilege being able to play the game, even in an unfinished state, before the world is ready to experience it. The game on ground level is still in early stages and wasn’t all that pretty, I can only imagine the final product though. All the main roads and streets were laid out but not everything was completed or fully detailed, lots of bland geography here and there - the artists still have a lot of work to touch up.
But the map is huge, like stupendously huge, hence the game’s emphasis on air travel. It makes GTA 5 look like a schoolyard playground. There are an array of atmospheric effects that bring out the life in everything. Light pollution, hurricane winds, morning fog, etc. I've never seen an open world game this realistic before.
Map: The playable game territory encompasses two major cities. Carcer City, which is sorta this dirty East Coast area based on Boston, MA - and Vice City, based on Miami Florida. Every individual county is named as well, I can’t remember the names right now (I think Scout County was one) The game is also divided into three states. I spent more time in Carcer since I found it to be the more interesting city, it is however easy to get lost in since a lot of the roads are so spirally and don’t always follow a classic grid pattern. The satire surrounding some of the historic US landmarks I discovered got a laugh out of me, I’ve encountered some deviant statues in the Charlestown knockoff area. I was told a historic tour would be a side attraction in the game. I also fast traveled via blue line train which took me to the airport area. There is also an abundance of towns, shanties, waterfronts, suburbs, hideouts and wilderness between the two cities, and a military base in the Florida region where I stole my jet. I did a couple fly overs but I didn’t get to digest the map in its entirety on foot. If you fly up high enough, you get this atmospheric bloom effect, think Google Earth. The countryside sorta transitions from Massachusetts-esque farmland and seasides (fishing is a minigame, didn’t get to play it), stretches of red oak forest and freeways treading through fields and towns, to marshy grassland, and eventually a swampy Florida countryside not unlike the bayou from RDR2, just way bigger and less misty. It’s a very long and gradual transition between the two cities but it’s a little awkward traveling from Boston to Miami without any other major US cities in between save some small towns. It's still well realized even in an unfinished state. There are also small chunks of islands based on the Keys (dubbed the “Chain” in GTA 6’s world) connected via a long highway based on the 7 Mile Bridge (i had lots of fun trying to survive a cop chase while crossing the entire bridge, which is really only like 2 miles long in the actual game). The aesthetic of VC’s area is very similar to the bayou and Gaurma from RDR2 (again, think “test mule”). The water effects are on par with Sea of Thieves, just stunning. There is underwater exploration as well but I didn’t spend too much time below the surface. Overall the map design is the most authentic yet in a Rockstar game. It doesn’t feel as gamey as RDR2 or GTA 5 where biomes felt compressed next to each other. They really went all out and it shows. I felt very overwhelmed exploring such a huge and richly detailed game world, I can't even remember everything. So many roads and huge spaces, it'll take many long hours to memorize this map without relying on the radar.
I didn’t get to play any minigames or story missions, in fact, I don’t even think the character I controlled was the actual protagonist. He looked like a generic NPC model, no voice overs or lines. Just an avatar to explore the world and test the game with. That isn’t to say the story isn’t in the works, it's well into production. I just didn’t get to play any of it. I do know that multiple protagonists are a thing, two of them might be siblings(?). One of them is an undercover cop or something (think Departed movie). Apparently the groundwork for mission design has been completely revamped. You can permanently abandon some missions or take different routes that sprout different consequences. Each protagonist can manufacture their own story beats, but in the end the overall storyline will stay intact so it’s still somewhat linear. Missions are mostly setpiece based from what I’ve been told. Again, I didn’t actually get to play any story missions but a fellow tester gave me a basic outline of it.
Lots of newly modeled cars too, I did spot a couple OG’s like the Sabre GT. The game sorta has this reboot aesthetic if that makes sense. A lot of samey qualities that make up a GTA game, but more detailed than ever. I saw a newer looking Lamborghini on Ocean Side that I could tell was supposed to be an infernus, even though it was a different model than the one featured in GTA 4 and 5. I didn’t see any returning vehicles from the GTA Online expansions, like I said all the core vehicle designs seem to be rebooted with the exception of a few vintage cars like the Sabre. Gunplay felt somewhat unfinished when I played it, almost identical to GTA 5’s with a clunky cover system. I’ve been told it’s gonna get retooled eventually. Running and climbing animations also aren’t 100% complete yet, sorta these placeholder animations borrowed from either GTA 5 or RDR2. Driving also feels like GTA 5 in the state I played it. Everything gameplay wise was placeholdery. I’ve been told the map is the priority right now and the gameplay mechanics are still in the process of being refactored to provide a “more immersive experience.” Although I was told first person will be included, it wasn’t ready or available in the version I played. No radio stations either when I played, or ambient tracks. My biggest takeaway was the open world. It is insane, I can’t understate it enough. The game is absolutely titanic. I can only imagine it in its finished state. I’m not sure what Rockstar’s ultimate vision is with this game. Mechanically it’s still very GTA, but it is a technological beast. A splendor of modern game design and a Hollywood budget. I don’t even wanna know how much money they poured into it.
HUD: basic circular radar like in RDR2 and GTA 4, seemed very beta-ish. Generic stock text fonts for vehicle names and ammo count, seems like they haven’t picked a font yet. Weapon wheel is back with generic black&white placeholder images for the weapons I was able to use (AK47, Pump shotgun, a glock, baseball bat; to name a few).
Police: very robust and tactical AI. Apparently the devs are pushing this new AI trick called “Paired AI” where teams of adversaries like NOOSE agents or cops can split into teams of two to flank the player. They programmed some sort of buddy-trust system for cops to communicate realistically and feel more like a team. Something they aimed for but couldn’t quite achieve in GTA 5. Didn’t really notice it any of the policies shootouts I had. What I did notice was a team of NOOSE guys cover-walking side by side with a slowly rolling swat van. Felt straight out of a Hollywood movie. NOOSE can also use riot shields and tear gas via grenade launcher. Police will sometimes open the trunk of their cruiser to pull out an AR or shotgun. Lots of realistic touches like that. 6 stars is also back, then the military spawns in. It takes a while for them to arrive, to give the player some prep time, they actually travel from the military base in real time to confront the player. They are very challenging once they start using jets. You can also disarm police with certain melee prompts.
Final impressions: really feels like Rockstar’s ultimate game, a game so big and realistic they could retire in peace and never have to make another GTA. I just don’t see how they can top this, they really went all out on the open world. I can’t wait to see it in its final form when all the detail, polish and mechanics are complete. The wait is worth it.
TL;DR: I QA tested the gameplay mechanics and exploration in early stages of GTA 6. I saw and did a lot of things. The map is huge.
Anyway, that’s all I’ll share for now. Not sure if anyone will even catch this. I’m using a throwaway for obvious reasons. Just thought a leak would be fun to sate the fans a bit. I am confident I won’t get caught, so I’m not worried too much about that part. This will probably get removed, unless Rockstar wants to be coy and ignore this massive leak. I will answer as many comments as I can. Ask anything you want. Cheers!
